Records Retention Schedules

A "records schedule" also know as a “retention schedule”, identifies records as either temporary or permanent. Records schedules must be approved by the Idaho State Historical Society. The instructions specify when the record series is to be cut off; when eligible records are to be moved to off-site storage; when eligible temporary records must be destroyed or deleted, and identifies permanent records that are to be transferred to the University Archives.

As part of the ongoing records life cycle, disposition should occur in the normal course of business, and all ISU records must be scheduled.

Record schedules ensure that records are not kept longer than needed or destroyed too soon, and help to safeguard against records being removed or destroyed without authorization.

Record schedules are mandatory

Retention schedules ensure that records are not kept longer than needed or destroyed too soon.

Retention schedules help to safeguard against records being removed or destroyed without authorization.

What are the benefits of using records schedules?

Ensures that the important records are organized and maintained in such a way as to be easily retrieved and identifiable as evidence of the program's activities, especially in the event of an audit, or a discovery in a lawsuit

Conserves office space and equipment by using filing cabinets to store only active paper records and conserves server space by using tapes, disks, and other off-line storage media for electronic records

Saves money by moving inactive files to offsite storage areas until they are ready for final disposition

Helps preserve those records that are valuable for historical or other research purposes

Controls the growth of records in offices through the systematic disposition of unneeded records